Flue construction for vehicles.



No. 767,031. PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904. A. A. BALL, JE- FLUE CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHIGLES.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 2, 1901. N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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- yqugustuusyqlfialpn Aim ymu PATENTED AUG. 9, 1904.

A. A. BALL, JR. FLUE CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1901.

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No. 767,031. PATBNTED AUG. 9, 1904. A. A. BALL, JR. FLU-B CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 2, 1901. 0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

witnesses: Inventor;

. M u usflBaHJTr mu u at 7 UNITED STATES Patented August 9, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS A. BALL, J R., OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

FLUE CONSTRUCTION FOR VEHICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,031, dated August 9, 1904:.

Application filed December 2, 1901. Serial No. 84,301. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Aueusrrus A. BALL, J12,

a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flue Construction for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

In the operation of steam-vehicles it is necessary to provide a flue for carrying off the Waste products of combustion, and in order to prevent the wind from blowing into the flue and checking or spreading the burnerflame it has been customary heretofore to provide a cross-flue in addition to the main flue.

I5 I have discovered that this cross-flue, which is unsightly, can be dispensed with by making an opening in the fine at a point intermediate the ends and placing a deflector in the flue at a point opposite said opening. I may with advantage provide a second or downweirdly-extending flue, which communicates with the first at a point adjacent to the deflector, so that the wind blowing into the flue may be utilized to create a forced draft. In connection with the two flues referred to I may utilize the exhaust from the engine or direct steam in a novel manner to create a forced draft at all times when the vehicle is in operation.

The scope of my invention will be more fully set forth in the description and claims appended thereto.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a steam-vehicle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-section showing the flue in plan. Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section of the boiler and flues. Fig. 1 is a crosssection of the flue, showing the deflector. 4 Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the boiler and flues and shows the exhaust-pipe from the engine entering the deflector. Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line '6 6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the boiler and fines, showing a slight structural modification of the means employed for creating a forced draft; and Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8 8 of In the drawings, 1v represents a steam-propelled vehicle, having driving-wheels 2 and 5 steering-wheels 3. An engined is employed to drive the vehicle, which engine and the means for supporting it form the subject-matter of my Patent No. 7 25,394, dated April 14, 1903, and my copending application, Serial N o. 113,039, filed June 24, 1902.

5 represents a boiler, of any suitable construction, for supplying steam to the engine.

In the present instance a flash-boiler is shown, consisting of a coil of tubing inclosed in a oasing 6, the latter being surrounded by the ashestos covering 7. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not restricted to the use of any particular type of boiler. Situated below the boiler-tubes is a burner 8, designed 5 for hydrocarbon fuel. The particular kind of burner forms no part of the present invention. Passing through the burner are the usual openings, permitting air to pass upward and mingle with the gases.

Extending rearwardly from the boiler-casing is a flue 9. In the present instance itis shown as being rectangular in cross-section; but it may be given any other suitable configuration. This flue is provided at a point intel-mediate the ends with a deflector 10, which extends somewhat below a plane passing through the bottom of the flue. The object of this deflector is to provide an irregular fluepassage, so that back draft, or that due to wind blowing into the flue, will be prevented from affecting the burner-flame. l/Vithout some protective device the back draft,. as it is commonly called, would at times reverse the natural draft and choke back the flame, while 5 at other times it would cause the flame to spread to the sides of the vehicle. The natural flow of gases through the flue being relatively slow, the deflector offers little resistance thereto; but a large resistance is offered to sudden gusts or pufl's of wind, and these gusts or puffs are deflected away from that portion of the flue leading directly to the boiler.

The portions of the flue 9 situated on opposite sides of the deflector 10 are preferably made of the same cross-section, for reasons which will hereinafter appear. Opening into the horizontal flue at a point opposite the deflector is a vertical flue 11. The sides of this flue are parallel for substantially the entire length; but at a point about opposite the lower end of the deflector they begin to diverge and continue to do so until the connections with the flue 9 are made. In other words, a restriction is provided at or about the lower end of the'deflector, and gas or air in passing this point will attain a greater velocity than anywhere else in the flues.

The arrangement shown furnishes a most effective means for preventing back drafts from affecting the burner-flame. Tests show that where a jet of compressed air under a moderate pressure is admitted to the rear end of the flue 9 it will not in any way affect a sheet of metal folded back on itself.

feeble flame located in close proximity to the boiler end of the flue 9. hen the pressure of the jet of air is increased to a certain point, the downward passage of air in the flue 11, due to the deflector 10, creates a suction in the boiler end of the flue 9, and consequently the draft on the burner is increased, the firegases mingling with the air in its downward passage.

By reason of the construction described it will be seen that instead of the back draft acting as a detrimentit actually assists in the operation of the vehicle and at a time when the additional draft is most needed. The vertical flue 11 may be made of any desired length. It preferably should extend below the body of the vehicle, so as to project the waste products of combustion toward the ground.

To present the invention in a different way, the boiler is provided with a flue which has two free openings, one for natural and the other for forced draft, with a deflector permanently mounted at the junction of the outwardlyopening ends of the flue and arranged to prevent air-currents from passing downward into the boiler.

\ Referring to Figs. 2 to f, inclusive, the mechanical construction'of the fines will be more apparent. The horizontal flue 9 is rectangular in cross-section and is cut away at a point opposite the deflector to receive the ver tically -extending fiue 11, the latter being riveted in place. The deflector is made of a The lower end is rounded, as are the front and rear portions 12, to decrease the friction of the gases. The upper ends of the deflector are secured to the top plate of the flue by rivets or other equivalent means. The point at which the sides of the vertical flue begin to diverge is slightly above the rounded lower end of the deflector, thus making a restriction for a short distance in the flues. The fire-gases freely pass from the boiler through the flue and around the deflector, their velocity being so small as not to be appreciably affected thereresistance to the flow of the gases.

by. When a gust of Wind blows into the flue from the back end, its velocity being much greater, particularly at the point of restriction, results in a suction through the flue 9 from the front and down the vertical flue 11, which creates an additional draft through the boiler. It is desirable to have a forced draft which can be utilized at any time when the vehicle is in operation, and to this end the eX- haust from the engine is utilized either directly or after it has passed through a muflier. The novel means which I employ for carrying out this feature are best shown in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 5 and 6, 10 represents a deflector having a rounded lower end and curved sides 12 to reduce the Within the deflector is formed a chamber 13, which communicates with the exhaust of the engine 4 through the pipe 14:. The lower end of the chamber communicates with the flues through a series of openings 14. It is preferable to provide a series of openings rather than one large opening, as the draft produced by a series of small steam-jets is much greater than that produced by one large jet. to this the exhaust will make less noise. The deflector can with advantage be made of a casting having outwardly-eXtending portions which are riveted or otherwise secured to the top plate of the flue 9. The sides of the deflector make a tight fit with the sides of the flue to prevent the gas from working by at that point.

The cross-sectional area of the flue 9 on each side of the deflector is preferably the same, so that When steam passes out of the openings 1 it will draw the fire-gases on one hand and air on the other in equal amounts. This will cause a sufflcient amount of air to mingle With the waste fire-gases and steam to render them practically invisible at ordinary temperatures.

It is preferable in carrying out my invention to have only a small space between the boiler-tubes and the top of the casing, so that there will be only a relatively small storagespace for fire-gases. lVith this arrangement as soon as the forced draft begins to operate, either due to the steam or back draft, the effect will be immediately felt on the burner, because the fire-gases will be drawn therefrom. With constructions involving a chamber of substantial size over the boiler-tubes it is necessary to relieve the chamber of more or less of the gases before the effect will be felt at the burner. To state the matter in a different light, I am enabled by the construction shown to utilize the effects of a forced draft sooner than in those cases where a storage-chamber for fire-gases has first to be relieved. It is obvious, however, that certain advantages of my invention will follow, even though a storage-space for fire-gases 1s provided.

In addition In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a slight modiflcation of the device employed to create a forced draft by means of the exhaust-steam. A deflector 10 is provided, having the characteristics of the one illustrated in Fig. 3. The exhaust-pipe 14 from the engine is provid ed with an enlarged flattened end 15, which may have a series of small openings at its lower end or one long thin opening. The steam in passing through this enlarged end operates in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 5. The flue 9 in this case opens upwardly at its outer end; but it may open in the same manner as illustrated in the previous figures.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principle of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent'the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue which at one end opens into the boiler-casing and at the other end to the atmosphere, the said flue being provided with an opening located between the boiler and the outer end, and a deflector which is mounted in the flue at a point adjacent to the opening for temporarily deflecting the fire-gases in a lateral direction from their path as they pass to atmosphere, and for preventing gusts or pufl's of wind from entering the boiler by causing them to pass through the opening.

2. In combination, a boiler, a burner, aflue which opens at one end into the boiler-casing,

and at the other end to the atmosphere, the

said flue being provided with an opening located between the boiler and the outer end, a deflector which is mounted in the flue at a point adjacent to the opening, and a second flue in permanent and free communication with the first at a point opposite the deflector and permanently open at the lower end, so that when a forced draft is created the fire gases and air will freely mingle in the second flue.

3. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue for carrying off the fire-gases, a second flue opening into the first at one end and permanently open to the atmosphere at the other, and a deflector which extends into the second flue and deflects gases at that point, the said deflector also forming a restriction in the second flue.

4:. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue for carrying oil the fire-gases, a second flue opening at one end into the first and provided with flaring sidesat that point, and having an unrestricted opening at the other end, and a deflector having curved sides which projects into the flaring end of the second flue and causes a restriction at that point.

5. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue which acts as a natural draft, a second flue opening into the first at a point between the ends, a deflector, and a connection for discharging steam into the second flue.

6. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue which acts as a natural draft, a second flue opening into the first at a point between the ends, a hollow deflector having an opening at its end, and a steam connection opening into the deflector.

7. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue for creating a natural draft, a second flue opening into the first at a point intermediate the ends, a hollow deflector projecting into the second flue and provided with a plurality of openings for discharging steam into the second flue, the said deflector forming a restriction in the second flue, and a pipe for com veying steam to the deflector.

8. In combination, a boiler, a burner, a flue leading from the boiler and provided with two free openings, a deflector projecting into one of the openings, and a steam-jetissuing from the deflector and so located that it draws firegases from the boiler and air from one of the flue-openings in substantially equal amounts and discharges them through the second flueopenin 9. As an article of manufacture, a boilerflue comprising horizontal and vertical portions openinginto each other, each of said portions having an end that is in permanent and unrestricted communication with the atmosphere, and a deflector which is secured to one portion of the flue and extends into the other, the said deflector being arranged to make a tight fit with the sides of both portions and also to form a slight restriction in the vertical flue.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 29th day of November, 1901.

AUGUS"US A. BALL, JR.

Witnesses:

ALEX. F. IVIACDONA'LD, DUGALD MoK. MCKILLOP. 

